AZ DPS Facing $10M Cut

The Arizona Department of Public Safety, the principal co-operator of the statewide Redflex automated ticketing scheme, may be facing over $10 million in budget cuts according to KPHO.

While the agency is facing a situation where 97 sworn officer positions remain unfilled and possible elimination of 15 civilian jobs, absolutely no mention is made of cuts regarding the disastrous and unpopular photo radar surveillance program.

Earlier this year, during a threat of a state government shutdown, DPS indicated that they might have to end “non-essential” or lower-priority projects. DPS’s contract with Redflex was mentioned specifically as a possible victim of such cuts:

The agency is reviewing all non-essential functions in case the threatened shutdown becomes reality.

Profit over policing through the use of cameras is not unique to Arizona. Just recently in Kansas, officers were being taken off of the streets to work desk jobs relating to photo enforcement, prompting the police board to question if “…the cameras are becoming more of a burden than a useful tool.”

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BEACHWOOD, Ohio— In an effort to improve safety, one local city is cracking down on bicyclists by running radar!

After receiving numerous complaints from walkers and joggers, Beachwood Police installed an automated speed sign along the Beachwood City Park Trail which will show cyclists how fast they are riding. The speed sign, which sits at the edge of Shaker East and Richmond Road, is similar to the type of radar used for cars.

Beachwood Community Services Director Karen Carmen says the goal is for cyclists to travel under 10 mph. Even though police will not issue a citation or a fine, violators may be asked to slow down.

Some joggers who favor the new speed device question whether cyclists will adhere to the rules. “I don’t know if anybody will listen, but it’s a good idea,” said Mark Danaceau.

Cyclist Greg Pites said, “I’m not speeding anyway. If I want to speed, I’m going to get a motorbike.”

“It’s good. You want to be safe. You don’t want people running into each other,” said Katherine Burnard.

Beachwood police say two bike accidents have been reported within the past year. In both cases, speed was a factor.

WOW!!! Two whole bicycle accidents in a year!!!!
How many Deaths did that result in?
Does that city have that much extra money just laying around that they can afford monitoring the speed of bicycles? Someone in city hall needs to pull their head out of their a$$.

With the DPS and State budgets in dire straits, why not reduce the size of DPS’s patrol force, saving expensive Officers’ salaries and equipment costs. After all, are we now not safe being monitored by the RedFlex cameras? DPS… You can’t have is both ways. If the cameras are making it safe for the motoring public, then less manpower is needed.

We all know the next chapter of this strategy, The patrol force will stay the same size and eventually grow; The cameras will increase in number; and the threshold speeds for the cameras will decrease increasing the number of violations, hence monies for collection. Additionally, notices of violation will go away and true citations will be distributed increasing the number of suspended drivers (again more violation money).

Then are you suggesting that police will stop pulling people over for speeding violations? This is not good either! Routine traffic stops for speeding are a great way for police to find other law violations!

Yes you did. Do the math. You said they can spend more time on DUI’s, drugs, and immigration. The only way they’d have more time for those activities (except DUI) is if they reduced their general traffic patrols – which again is not a good thing.

I think a fair share of DUI and drug enforcement comes from routine traffic stops. Maybe it’s just me, but I rarely see DPS on the freeways since the implementation of the cameras. I’d love to know what they’re doing instead of patrolling the highway.

They’re back in the station counting the money thieved from motorists by the cameras. Not sure if this is happening in the States, but here in Australiam there’s serious media hoopla every time a hotted-up, garishly painted highway patrol car hits the streets. WHY? Because there’s so few of them these days!

DPS Commander Tom Woodward says patrolmen found the Loop 101 cameras onerous. He said they might have put the public’s safety at risk. “ It deterred officers assigned to the East Valley from working that area,” Woodward says. “We still responded to calls, but officers were not in that area working traffic proactively as much as they were prior to photo enforcement.”http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2007-02-08/news/gotcha/10

did you even attempt to read either article? it is a PPD policy that officers do not travel more than 15 mph over the speed limit… IT AHS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE CAMERAS !! as they say in the article the policy is for public and officer safety !!! is it a stupid policy ? hell yes !!!

i felt warm and fuzzy all over to read that some “jackass idiot” self proclaimed i might add, got exactly what she deserved by racking up that many violations…. there are a reason for laws…. as she claims….she gets it.. but what she didnt say is that she doesnt think that the laws pertain to her…. that part if obvious even though not mentioned !!! if she was humiliated then that is something of her own doing !!!
does PR have flaws? yes…. and corporations not being sent notifications is a joke and needs to be addressed …. but it in no way makes what she did less sinister !!

the reason that officers are not in “that” area is cause they are out doing more important cop things than running radar and doing something there is a camera there to do…. there is no smoking gun in that sentence…. kind of duplicaive to have a cop and a camera on the same strecth of road !!!

The other reason cops hate cameras is the mindlessness of them. Here in Australia, you get busted for just 1 mph over the limit, regardless of the circumstances. You could be dying and racing to get to the hospital and the camera would just keep snapping away regardless. Live Police show discretion and they are a REAL deterrent to genuine law breaking. Serious Police professionals know that photo enforcement drives a wedge between enforcement officials and the general public and that is bad for everyone.

Personally, I don’t want to see DPS go understaffed and underfunded. This will leave a window open for companies like Redflex to fill the voids with (allegedly) cheaper automated law enforcement technologies.

Instead, I hope that DPS gets the money they need to put the proper number of officers on the road and REALLY keep things safe out there for us all. If that means pulling the plug on the speed cameras to keep officers on the road, by all means, PULL THE PLUG!